1. Definite null objects in (spoken) French

The role of information structure in the instantiation of objects: Evidence from Amazonian Spanish

Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics ◽

10.1515/shll-2020-2028 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 219-245

Author(s):

Rosa Vallejos ◽

Evelyn Fernández-Lizárraga ◽

Haley Patterson

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Information Structure ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Linguistic Variables ◽

Social Variables ◽

Null Objects ◽

The Impact ◽

Role Of Information ◽

Activation Status

AbstractThis study analyzes the instantiation of objects in Peruvian Amazonian Spanish (PAS) discourse in two communities with distinct linguistic contexts. We examine the impact of two social variables (gender and place) and nine linguistic variables (transitivity, animacy, definiteness, anaphora function, anaphora expression, cataphora function, cataphora expression, activation, topic persistence) on the speech of eight participants. Our findings indicate that null instantiation in PAS is pervasive, occurring with a range of verb lexemes. While neither gender nor place are significant predictors of null objects, various linguistic variables contribute to the instantiation of objects. The five significant variables as determined by a mixed model regression analysis include the following: animacy, definiteness, anaphora expression, cataphora expression, and activation status. Several findings are consistent with previous research (e. g. human and definite referents disfavor null objects), while other results differ (e. g. PAS propositions disfavor null objects). Activation status and anaphora expression are the most significant predictors of null objects in PAS. In particular, highly accessible referents in discourse and anaphoric null objects favored null objects in subsequent clauses. Thus, the results in the present study demonstrate the pivotal role of information structure in object instantiation, furthering the discussion on syntax-discourse interplay phenomena.

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Quantificational Null Objects and Argument Ellipsis

Linguistic Inquiry ◽

10.1162/ling.2008.39.2.307 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 307-326 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Daiko Takahashi

Keyword(s):

Traditional View ◽

Argument Ellipsis ◽

Null Arguments ◽

Null Objects

This article provides a new argument for the analysis of null arguments in terms of ellipsis by considering null objects that behave like quantifiers. It is shown that the presence of quantificational null objects and their scopal property are difficult to accommodate under the traditional view of null arguments as pronouns but are best accounted for by the ellipsis analysis. Among the consequences of the present study are the need to postulate phonetically invisible/inaudible scrambling and its obedience to the economy requirement.

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